Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 663

"I know. Fanny and I will analyze the video to figure out what happened. Get here as soon as you can."

Stripped of her usual laid-back attitude, Hayley's face was ice-cold, all strictly business.

She promptly ended the call on Townsend's phone, crossed her arms, and arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you just going to stand there? Are we waiting until the kidnapper leaves Quinborough to do something about this?"

Townsend's face flushed with shame. He bit his lip and straightened up. "The footage is over here. Follow me."

Normally, he and Hayley were constantly at each other's throats. Whenever they crossed paths, an argument was guaranteed. But tonight, faced with Hayley's hostile tone, Townsend remained completely silent, accepting the blame.

He led Hayley and Fanny straight to the study, where the monitor already displayed the paused security feed.

"I was gone for maybe two or three hours. The guy dressed as a delivery driver showed up just minutes after I left. He interacted with Domingo and somehow tricked them into leaving with him."

He clenched his jaw. With every word he spoke, his guilt multiplied.

He balled his hands into tight fists, practically drowning in an ocean of regret.

Fanny and Hayley had already pulled up chairs, their eyes glued to the security feed.

"Pause."

Hayley narrowed her eyes, spotting something amiss. She barked the command.

Fanny clicked the mouse, freezing the video.

The frame showed Domingo and Rosalie climbing into the back of a vehicle, while the 'delivery driver' turned the car around to leave.

"Right there."

Hayley's gaze sharpened. She tapped a long finger against a shadowy corner of the screen, then shot a glance at Townsend. "Can you enhance the brightness on this section?"

"On it."

Shaken by the intense, commanding aura radiating from the two women, Townsend hurried forward to adjust the display settings.

As the shadows cleared, Hayley grabbed Townsend's arm, signaling him to stop. A glint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes. "The license plate."

She tapped the monitor.

Fanny and Townsend, who had been struggling to see the clue, followed her gaze. Sure enough, the previously blurry pixels had cleared up just enough to reveal a readable sequence of numbers and letters.

Fanny immediately snapped a picture of it with her phone. "I'll run this plate by..."

Her first instinct was to contact the police, but she quickly stopped herself.

Everything involving Domingo had been kept strictly off the books. Bringing the cops into this would completely compromise their operation.

Fanny pressed her lips into a thin line. After a moment of hesitation, she turned to Hayley. "Keep analyzing the video with Townsend to see if there are any other clues. I need to consult with Ruby."

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